Jorginho to Join Flamengo on Three-Year Deal as Free Agent from Arsenal

Arsenal midfielder Jorginho is set to join Brazilian club Flamengo on a three-year contract until 2028, as confirmed by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano in a May 5, 2025, X post. The 33-year-old Italy international, whose Arsenal contract expires in June 2025, will move as a free agent, concluding his two-year stint with the Gunners. Romano wrote, “Jorginho set to join Flamengo on free transfer, here we go! Plan confirmed since January and deal set to be sealed for the midfielder who’s leaving Arsenal in June. Three year deal until 2028 at Flamengo verbally agreed, as @venecasagrande reports. Jorginho said yes.” The transfer, strategically timed for Flamengo’s Club World Cup campaign, marks a homecoming for the Brazil-born midfielder, who has never played professionally in his native country despite representing Italy internationally.

Jorginho, who joined Arsenal from Chelsea in January 2023 for £12 million, made 78 appearances, providing depth behind Declan Rice and Thomas Partey. His role diminished this season, with only 14 starts, including seven in the Premier League, partly due to a punctured lung injury sustained against Brentford in March 2025, though he is expected to return before the season ends. Flamengo’s pursuit, ongoing since January, saw Arsenal reject a mid-season transfer, prioritizing squad stability. The club granted Jorginho four days off for his wedding and honeymoon, with a medical evaluation confirming his recovery, per X posts from @venecasagrande.

The move, finalized after Jorginho rejected offers from Besiktas, Fiorentina, and Palmeiras, aligns with Arsenal’s midfield overhaul, with Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi targeted as a replacement. Flamengo, leveraging Jorginho’s Champions League, Europa League, and Euro 2020 experience, views him as a leadership asset for their domestic and global ambitions. Fans on X, like @PapaRubroNegro, noted Jorginho’s earlier Rio visit with his fiancée to explore the city, signaling his commitment. While Arsenal fans, per CaughtOffside, appreciate his contributions, the club’s focus on younger talent and Flamengo’s strategic timing for the June 2025 Club World Cup underscore the transfer’s mutual benefits, though formalities await final signatures.